Donor Profiles

Each year thousands of alumni and friends make gifts to Canisius College. Here are a few examples of those we wish to thank:

Carl J. Montante and the entire Montante family have played an integral role in the advancement of Canisius College.

Carl Montante is a 1964 alumnus of Canisius and a 2004 honorary degree recipient. As managing director of Uniland Development, which he founded in 1974 with partner Nancy R. Dobson, Carl has grown the company to become the area’s largest developer of office and industrial real estate. Moreover, Uniland is at the forefront of development revitalization efforts in downtown Buffalo.

At Canisius, Carl’s leadership on the Board of Trustees and Board of Regents has helped advance the college’s vision, to ascend into the top ranks of comprehensive universities in the Northeast.

In 1998, he and his wife, Carol (Lyons), donated $1.5 million to the Imagine Canisius capital campaign for the renovation of the former St. Vincent de Paul Church into a magnificently restored performing arts center, which now bears the Montante name.

Nelson D. Civello ’67, retired professor of finance, taught many important lessons to his senior finance majors over the past seven years at Canisius College. Perhaps none of them is more valuable than his most recent example. Nelson and his wife, Patti, committed $1.475 million to A Legacy of Leadership: The Campaign for Canisius College through a combination of multi-year cash gifts and estate planning.

Catherine M. Burzik ’72 and her husband, Frank, have made two gifts of $1 million each to A Legacy of Leadership: The Campaign for Canisius College. The gifts are the largest from an alumna in Canisius’ history. Portions of the gifts helped establish The Catherine and Francis Burzik Endowed Scholarship Program for Canisius students who major in mathematics and the sciences.

The renovation and opening of Science Hall received a huge boost when John W. Rowe ’66, HON ’02, MD, committed $2 million to A Legacy of Leadership: The Campaign for Canisius College. Rowe is the former chairman and chief executive officer of Aetna Inc. and also the co-author of a leading book on aging in America, entitled Successful Aging.

Canisius College alumnus Daniel W. Stanton ’79 made a significant investment in his alma mater with a $1 million gift to the college. The gift established The Daniel W. Stanton ’79 Scholarship Program. It represents one of the larger endowed scholarship programs at the college. The scholarship is awarded to students with exceptional academic merit and demonstrated financial need.

Local philanthropists Peter and Liz Tower presented Canisius College with a $1 million gift to establish the Peter Tower Endowed Professorship and the Peter and Elizabeth C. Tower Endowed Scholarship Fund.

The academic experience for Canisius College students will be enriched for years to come, thanks to the generosity of Peter A. Vogt HON ’02. His gift established the Peter A. Vogt Scholarship Program.